BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — LSU safety A.J. Haulcy, a transfer from Houston and a projected starter this season, will not be eligible to play in the first half of Saturday night’s season opener against Clemson because he was ejected from his last game of last season for fighting.
Under NCAA rules, an ejection for fighting carries a one-half suspension in the player's next game, even if the game is played the following season and the player has switched teams.
LSU coach Brian Kelly confirmed on his radio show Thursday night that he'd received confirmation from the NCAA regarding Haulcy's half-game suspension.
Haulcy fought with BYU wide receiver Darius Lassiter during the final minutes of a 30-18 loss to the Cougars last Nov. 30.
“It’s unfortunate,” Kelly said. “We can’t sit here and complain because the decision’s been made, so let’s move on.”
Haulcy was projected to start along with safety Tamarcus Cooley, a transfer from North Carolina State.
Other safeties on LSU's roster who could start in Haulcy's place include senior Jardin Gilbert, sophomore Dashawn Spears and junior Javien Toviano.
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FILE - Houston defensive back A.J. Haulcy in the first half during an NCAA college football game against Arizona, on Nov. 15, 2024, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Crews were making progress Saturday battling a fast-growing and smoky wildfire in southern California that broke out Friday morning, prompting mandatory evacuations and warnings.
Now encompassing roughly 6.3 square miles (about 16 square kilometers) east of Moreno Valley in Riverside County, the Springs Fire was 45% percent contained on Saturday, according to a state website. It was 25% contained on Friday.
More than a dozen zones in the county remained under mandatory evacuation orders or evacuation warnings, while six have been dropped. It was not immediately known how many households were affected by the orders.
Firefighters were battling strong winds. The National Weather Service issued an advisory for 15 mph to 20 mph winds (24 kph to 32 kph), with gusts up to 45 mph (72 kph), into Saturday afternoon. An air quality alert has also been issued for harmful fine particle pollution levels due to wildfire smoke.
Hundreds of people have been battling the blaze using helicopters, engines and water tenders. It's located in a populated unincorporated part of Riverside County, in a recreational area near the city of Moreno Valley, which has a population of roughly 200,000. The city is 10 miles (16 kilometers) southeast of Riverside and 64 miles (103 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
Pechanga Fire Department firefighters monitor the smoky and fast-growing wildfire Springs Fire in Moreno Valley, Calif., Friday, April 3, 2026. (Terry Pierson /The Orange County Register via AP)
